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When I first met my boyfriend (now husband) in 2005 I knew one day he'd take me to Colombia to meet his family. I am also Colombian by blood, but I was born in the US and had never visited before. So when he invited me to go spend a month there during Christmas vacation, I enthusiastically said "of course!!" On December 15th 2008 I embarked on my first real trip overseas, and to a brand new continent: South America. We landed first in Cali Colombia, stayed a few days with Victor’s aunt, and then took a 3 hour bus ride to Armenia Colombia where the majority of Victor's family lives. I felt safe the whole time I was in Colombia, and it probably helped that I blended in well. Either way, Colombia has come a long way from the dangerous violent past that most people remember. Even Anthony Bourdain said it was one of his favorite countries and that he has no idea why everyone doesn't want to live there. Almost immediately after settling in to Victor's aunt's home in Armenia, we started doing "touristy" things. They wanted me to get to know Colombia in everyway possible. Here's what was
on our agenda for the next 3 weeks: Visit Panaca, El Parque del Cafe, Los Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal, Jump off a mountain while Paragliding (eeek!), visit Valle Cocora, and ride on a Chiva con papallera (traditional Colombian party bus with music band). On top of that we were also celebrating Christmas time there and later on flying to the coast for New Years at Victor's grandfather's farm. We did so much in-between it would take me 50 blogs to write about it, so I will do my best to summarize.
Panaca is a gorgeous outdoor animal park unlike any other animal park you've probably ever been to before. They let you feed the animals and get up close to them. One man made me really mad though, he was hitting one of the large pigs in the den as though it was a punching bag! He should've been more gentle and respectful, but that’s how close you can get to the animals. Entrance fee is $30. There is a small arena where you can sit down and watch dogs, horses, and pigs perform tricks. This is a perfect place to visit if you like beautiful outdoor landscapes
and if you like walking. A really fun activity you can also try here is zip lining, which my group and I did.
El Parque del Cafe is just breath taking! You will definitely enjoy this place as it has everything you want to do or try. It is the Colombian National Coffee Park, so the theme of the park is their major export of coffee! First thing you can do is go to the Coffee show, where the history of coffee is told through dancers and music, beautiful! From there you can choose from many amusement park options such as roller coasters and bumper cars. Want something more authentic? How about a horse ride around the beautiful landscapes of the park? We did all this and more, it was the best time. The horse ride for me was funny because I got separated from my group and my horse sped up and went kind of crazy haha, I was fine in the end though and the horses are safe. If you get hungry try going to the food court and ordering Frisby... it's the Colombian version of KFC, and it is pretty good if you like fried chicken.
Animals
Scared feeding the animals in Panaca Animal Park. I know this photo is hilarious! Colombia Plan on spending a whole day here and don’t forget to buy some coffee as a souvenir! Entrance $34
Los Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal is another beautiful outdoor place (see a recurring theme here?) where apparently there's steaming soothing water flowing naturally from a volcanic spring above. We arrived at night so I didn’t get to see it's full beauty, but you dip yourself into the pool of hot water and relax as though it were a jacuzzi. You can hear the springs flowing down, which was very nice. I would not recommend you take a white bathing suit as mine was white and turned brown, not because the pool is dirty but because of the chemistry of the water. I found out you can stay at the springs, just book the hotel there and enjoy a relaxing time.
Valle Cocora is located down the Armenia-Periera highway, It is my favorite place in all Colombia. It is a unique and gorgeous valley in Quindio located in the mountains, so the altitude is high but I wasn't affected by it at all. Also because it is high and tropical it rains a lot there. It is protected by
Hot Springs
Los Termales Santa Rosa de cabal. Hot Springs, Colombia soldiers dressed in army camouflage uniforms, as it is a wildlife sanctuary. As soon as you arrive, you will be in awe at the beauty of the country's national tree: The wax palm. I saw a hummingbird here and lots of cows. There’s a town nearby called
Salento and it has a traditional feel to it with craftsmen making handmade trinkets and art. You can walk up a set of steps (that have the stations of the cross on them) to get a gorgeous view of the "mirador", an actual viewpoint off the mountain. The view will probably be obscured because of the fog/clouds since it's so high. There's also a
trout farm we visited nearby. Victor's cousin gave us a walk through like a tour guide. We ate the fresh water trout that was bred there. The restaurant they serve the fish in is an elegant version of a traditional Colombian style house, and it is delicious served with a cream sauce and patacones. I noticed tourists for the first time here which I thought was odd because of how remote the place was, so traveler's you must make this a spot to visit!
Victor's cousins planned our
Coffee Park
Stopping to take a picture at el Parque del Cafe day of
paragliding. They chose a company based in Armenia called Quindio Aventureros. The day started off a little rocky because the drive up the mountain was super scary and dangerous. The jeep we were riding in even got stuck and started slipping backwards and we were close to the edge. I burst into tears, but after we finished the drive up I calmed down and was ready for our adventure! Victor went first, which helped me see it was safe. The paragliding instructor makes you wear a helmet, straps you securely into a harness, and fly’s with you as you glide in the air. He even talks you through it so you feel more calm. He tells you to hold your legs up in sitting position when you land, so your bum acts as a landing cushion! My turn was next, and it was the most surreal and relaxing experience. I felt weightless and free up there, I honestly didn't want it to end. A really fun and unforgettable experience. Everyone took their turns paragliding, and we all waited for each other at the bottom. Everyone admitted how scared they had been after it was over, but how over
Famous Wax Palm
Valle Cocora posing with a single tall wax palm tree. Armenia Colombia. coming their fear ended up being so worth it.
So far I was falling in love with Armenia, and Colombia in generall. Now I know why Colombians have so much pride in their country and why they always go back to visit when they've moved to different countries.
Next Blog I will write about the party bus aka la chiva con papallera!
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